Safe bids a fond farewell to long serving employee, Stewart Mason

Safe bids a fond farewell to long serving employee, Stewart Mason

May 2011 release

In an age where employee retention is often difficult, Safe proves yet again it is a stellar company to work for by reflecting on another long and happy career of one of their many long serving employees. This month sees Stewart Mason, who has been with Safe for over a decade, leave the business to enjoy his retirement. Our intrepid reporters caught up with him to reflect on his time as Senior Consultant at the head office of Safe Computing in Leicester and to find out what he is planning to do with his new found freedom from the nine to five.

When did you join Safe Computing?

‘I first started working for Safe in 1998, however I’d been a customer for over ten years prior to that’ Stewart began. In fact it transpired that Stewart had worked for three companies during that time, all of which had used Safe software, so during that time Stewart had built up quite a rapport with the team. So much so in fact the then company MD had specifically headhunted Stewart to help the company fulfil development plans. Such practices were commonplace in all walks of business then, but attitudes have changed over the years and such methods are now not part of Safe’s ethical recruitment processes.

What changes have you seen in that time?

‘Lots’ jokes Stewart, before telling us the layout of the teams at the Leicester head office has completely changed over time from one floor to three. When he began with the company, Stewart tells us there was ‘no email, no network and Safe Tempest had only just launched. I oversaw establishing email and networking for the business’. Safe Tempest went on to become part of a range of software and services Safe now offers, with Safe Tempest now a market leading payroll solution for temporary workers, with around half the top 50 recruiters in the UK using it today. Instrumental in helping the company navigate the potential pitfalls of the ‘Y2K bug’, Stewart helped the company to become ‘Y2K compliant’ in good time for the millennium. He’s seen the company grow immensely during his time with Safe, which he attributes to the influence of the now MD Sandy Scott.

What will you miss most?

‘The people’, Stewart tells us, because ‘they are a very, very, very good bunch’ he says solemnly, almost with a tear in his eyes. ‘I won’t miss the traffic on the way to work in the mornings though’ he joking adds, much to the amusement of all in audible range of the interview, ‘especially that Narborough Road!’

“How do you get around the traffic there?” - a colleague overhearing asks, making conversation.

‘By retiring!’ Stewart humorously retorts.

What are you looking forward to doing with your time?

‘Fishing’ he tells us, then after a short pause jokingly adds ‘and drinking wine!’ It transpires at one point Stewart was a keen fisherman and over the last 30 years or so has not found the time to enjoy the sport in earnest. He says he ‘did find it relaxing and enjoyable’ before and so is hoping it will be again. He also tells us of his extensive house renovation plans, which include repaving a driveway, converting a garage space and adding a porch to their family home. When all this work is done, Stewart is looking forward to really putting his feet up, by enjoying holidays in a cottage the family own in Somerset.